1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a golf accessory, and in particular, to a golf club support for raising a golf club grip above a fairway or green.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
It is often desirable to rest a golf club on a golf fairway or green in a manner so that the grip of the golf club does not receive moisture or dirt from the fairway or green. One well known solution to this problem is to provide a golf club which includes a grip having a small hole adapted to receive the tip end of a tee. The tee is supported on the fairway or green and acts to raise the grip of the golf club above the fairway or green. Another well known solution is to provide a stand with collapsible legs and with an opening adapted to receive a portion of the shaft adjacent the head of the golf club. Other stands which lift the golf club grip above the fairway or green are also well known in the art. These prior art devices require a golfer to carry additional pieces of equipment, namely, the supports or stands, which are separate from the golf club itself. These additional pieces of equipment are inconvenient for the golfer to carry while playing golf and can easily be misplaced.
A preliminary patentability search in Class 273, subclasses 32B, 32E, 80R, 81D and 162R, produced the following patents, some of which may be relevant to the present invention: Horton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,230, issued Feb. 20, 1996; Wissman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,401,019, issued Mar. 28, 1995; MacNeary, U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,977, issued Jan. 3, 1995; Vale, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,015, issued Dec. 15, 1992; and Pace, U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,046, issued May 26, 1992. None of these references, either singly or in combination, disclose or suggest the present invention.